


Five Names Jack Would Consider for a Dog (and some he wouldn't).

by Catspaw



Series: Sixty-five Things [4]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-06
Updated: 2011-05-06
Packaged: 2017-10-19 01:42:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/195493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catspaw/pseuds/Catspaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of a bundle of 'five things' challenges.  Tag for 'Singularity', wherein Jack buys Cassie a dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Names Jack Would Consider for a Dog (and some he wouldn't).

Everyone ended up on the porch at Janet's house. Sam opened the screen and gave a perfunctory knock on the door before she pushed it ajar.

"Janet?"

"In the kitchen," Janet called back. "Come on in, grab a beer, make yourselves at home."

The rest of SG1 and Cassie followed Sam in, the dog trotting obediently behind them.

"And who's this?"

Cassie looked up at Janet. "Colonel O'Neill gave him to me." She solemnly paraphrased Jack's words from the park. "Every kid needs a dog, it's a rule."

Across the top of her head, Janet's eyes met Jack's, eyebrows raised, and he grinned sheepishly. "Well if it's not, it should be." _C'mon, doc, work with me here,_ his expression pleaded.

Janet's face relaxed into a smile. "He's right. And that's a lovely dog, honey. What's it called?"

Cassie looked up at Jack, who smiled indulgently at her. "That's the other part of the rule. It's your dog, so you get to name him. He's a boy, by the way."

"What kinds of names do dogs have?"

"Well, that depends. You have to try and get something that fits his personality though."

Cassie scrunched up her nose. "How can I tell what his personality is? I've only just met him."

Jack scratched his head. "Tell ya what - you grab a soda and we'll grab our beers, and we'll all put our heads together to help you come up with a name while you get to know him better. How does that sound?"

"Okay." Cassie headed for the fridge, where Sam was doling out refreshments.

Janet moved to his side and said softly, "The dog was a nice thought, Colonel."

"Yeah, well. I figured the kid needs a pal to help her through this whole mess. And I think he fits our parameters: he's house trained, he's used to kids and he won't grow any larger than he is already. I picked out the friendliest dog in the shelter."

Janet smiled warmly. "I think it'll do her good. Someone to tell her secrets to, until she starts to feel at home here. Thank you."

Jack grinned at her and went to grab his beer.

When they were all settled in Janet's living room, and Cassie had plunked herself down on the floor with her new friend, Jack cleared his throat and announced, "Okay, people. We've got an important job to do here. Cassie needs help to come up with a name for her dog. The floor is open for suggestions. Carter, you start."

"Um." Caught off guard, Sam hastily swallowed her mouthful of beer. "More of a cat person here, Sir. But how about famous dogs? You could call it --"

"Him, Carter. He's a boy."

"Sorry, Sir. You could call _him_ Snoopy. Or Toto. Or," Sam wracked her brains to come up with another good one, hastily rejected Rin-Tin-Tin, came up empty otherwise, and finished lamely with, "Lassie."

Jack spluttered over his beer, and she added defiantly, "What? Lassie was played by a male dog. It's ironic."

"Oh c'mon, you can't call him Lassie. Way to give the poor mutt a complex." He regarded the dog critically. "Snoopy?" He shook his head. "Doesn't look like a Snoopy to me. Sorry, Carter. I think he needs a good, all-American name, like Ben. Or Homer."

"Who was Greek," Daniel pointed out.

"No way! He's from Springfield. He's a good ol' mid-west boy," Jack protested, and Daniel rolled his eyes. "So, Daniel? What's your take on it?"

"Well," Daniel regarded the dog thoughtfully. "He's too big to be a Toto. And I'm not totally sold on Snoopy either - sorry, Sam." He grimaced apologetically in her direction and she responded with a 'never mind' shrug of her shoulders. He switched his attention back to Cassie again. "You could just give him an ordinary boy's name."

"The only Earth boys' names I know are Daniel and Jack," Cassie said.

"You can't call him Daniel," Jack said with mock seriousness. "You wouldn't have a hope of getting him to do what you told him."

Lounging on the couch and safely out of Cassie's direct line of sight, Daniel lazily flipped him the bird as Sam grinned into her beer.

"Okay then. Max is a boy's name, and it's an okay name for a dog. He kinda looks like he might be a Max, to me." Daniel said. Down on the floor with the dog, Cassie was petting him and scratching behind his ears, while the animal's eyes closed in bliss and his tail thumped against the floor. "Or Lucky. Because it looks like he might be a very lucky dog to have you for an owner."

Jack nodded his approval. "Yeah, either of those would work. T?"

"There is a dog in Jaffa legend, in a story we tell to our children," Teal'c said. "A very brave and loyal hound, ferocious to his master's enemies. His name was Arik, which means 'no surrender'."

Cassie had turned her attention to rubbing the dog's belly. He rolled over and stretched, one back leg pawing at the empty air, as Cassie grinned delightedly.

"No surrender, huh?" Daniel said pointedly.

Teal'c's mouth twitched. "I take your meaning, Daniel Jackson. It is maybe not appropriate."

Doc? Not heard from you, yet."

"I kind of like Lucky," Janet replied. "And Snoopy." She flashed a quick smile at Sam, who inclined her head and raised her beer bottle in thanks. "I've always been a fan of Peanuts. But how about Harvey? Or Clyde?"

"Clyde, I like. Nice and simple," Jack said. "But it's not up to me. Cassie?"

She looked up from her minute inspection of the dog's paws. Jack grinned at her.

"You been paying attention, kiddo? Lots of suggestions there. Whaddya think? Heard anything you like yet?"

Cassie cocked her head to one side and tightened her lips, considering. "We-ell -- Lucky is good." She tipped her head back and flashed a quick smile at Daniel, who looked smug. "And Max." Daniel looked even smugger. "But I think I'll call him Ben. I like that name, and I think he does too." The dog's tail thumped enthusiastically on the floor, top lip pulled back in a lopsided grin. "Look, he's smiling." As was Jack.

"Good choice, honey," Janet said. "You weren't to know, but when I was a kid, that was my dog's name. He was a great dog, too. I adored him." She looked around the assembled company, a little misty-eyed. "An omen, don't you think?"

"I'll drink to that," Sam said with a smile.

Jack raised his bottle and looked around. "We all will. To Ben. And Cassie. May you have many happy years together."


End file.
